The village divided by Heathrow Airport expansion

Harry Low
BBC News
BBC Harmondsworth Village Green with stop Heathrow expansion signsBBC
Harmondsworth would face huge changes if a third runway is built

Inside a red telephone box in the village of Harmondsworth, a sign gives notice of plans for its removal within 90 days.

What is less clear is how much of the rest of this part of west London will survive following the chancellor's announcement to back plans for a "badly needed" third runway at Heathrow Airport.

The U3 bus from the international hub crisscrosses green fields and drops you off close to the heart of the village where a memorial to residents killed in World War One stands.

Surrounding the village green is St Mary's Church, parts of which date back to 1067, two pubs, the obligatory red postbox and dozens of large green signs demanding "Stop Heathrow Expansion".

Red telephone box on Harmondsworth village green
This telephone box will be gone soon but the future of the rest of the village - which has a population of about 1,500 - remains uncertain

Harjit Cholia whose three children go to the local primary school, has lived in the village for 10 years.

The 39-year-old says she is "relieved" to finally have some clarity around the future of the UK's busiest airport.

She said: "I really do welcome the decision.

"I'm pleased that it's finally going to go ahead and we're not stuck in limbo, basically.

Harjit Cholia smiles at camera in Harmondsworth
Harjit Cholia says she'll be the first to leave

"My three kids were born here and I do love the village but progress needs to happen, the economy needs to grow and we are living in really uncertain times.

"I'm happy to move and say goodbye, cut my losses and have a better, brighter start for me and my family."

Not everyone here shares Harjit's view.

Student Fletcher Rodger has always lived in Harmondsworth with his parents in a rented home and says he has mixed feelings about the proposed third runway.

The 18-year-old said: "I've got, hopefully, 70 odd years left in me and hopefully I'm going to see economic growth within my country so that's one feeling.

The foreground, Fletcher Rodger wearing a black and white striped shirt smiles at the camera with St Mary's Church behind him
Student Fletcher Rodger lives in rented accommodation with his parents

"Equally, I don't want to have to see my birthplace and everything go to shambles.

"The history here is insane: the bouncing bomb was developed here.

"Most of the village is going to get knocked down; they might preserve a few things like the church... but you can't preserve something that you can't get access to.

"There's people buried here in the church's cemetery. You can't build a runway, particularly over Commonwealth War graves.

"These are people who fought for our country and yet this is how they're being treated, just tarmacked over their graves.

"How can you do that morally? It's just very, very saddening to see."

Emily has also lived in the village for all of her life.

Side-on view of Emily in front of Sun House
Emily described the decision as "really emotional"

She described the announcement as "really, really sad" and lamented that she would not be able to regale her children with tales of her own childhood in the area.

She said: "I'll never get to say 'this is where I went to school, this is my local park, this is where I liked to kick a football'.

"This is where I used to come and get penny sweets when sweets were a penny.

"This is where I used to take a walk with my family through the local park. I'll never get to do that with my kids."

Heathrow third runway: Inside the village facing demolition

Rob Barnstone, from the No 3rd Runway Coalition, said the expansion would put the village even closer to the Public Safety Zone, sited at the end of runways and which aim to reduce the number of people living, working and congregating in an area.

He said: "Life would be very, very difficult living like that.

View of Heathrow Airport from the sky, with a large blue engine in the foreground and four planes on the ground in front of the terminal
Heathrow is already the UK's busiest airport

"It wouldn't surprise me if some of these listed buildings would shake and fall down so it would be very difficult to build any sort of community which has existed in this area for a long, long time.

"It's very difficult at the moment and you know the prospect of this hanging over a lot of people is creating a lot of distress."

Additional reporting by Gem O'Reilly

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